Jones & Keefe: What To Watch For At Start Of Patriots Training Camp
BOSTON (CBS) -- The overarching themes of Patriots training camp are well established, but what should fans watch for at the beginning?
Training camp officially begins Thursday morning, with the first morning practice kicking off at 9:15 a.m.. Adam Jones and Rich Keefe spent much of Wednesday's program discussing the Patriots' situation entering training camp as well as the other AFC East teams as preparation for the 2016 season kicks into high gear.
Rich Keefe looked at who will start off getting the most reps the running back position, the one where the Patriots added minimal players to the roster in the offseason despite being an obvious weakness in the 2015 season.
"We saw at the end of last year, [the Patriots were] so desperate they brought in Steven Jackson," said Keefe. "They were trying to get something at that spot and they got nothing. There was zero production out of it. ... They couldn't even keep a team honest.
"I don't know what the answer is, but is somebody going to shine from that group? Not just the first four games but when Brady gets back, is that going to be any kind of a weapon for them at all, or is it going to be the same thing as last year?"
Jones does not want to overreact to however the Patriots divide reps at the quarterback position, but has a clear idea of what he thinks the Patriots should do to start.
"Give Brady most of the reps in training camp with the other 1's. Let him run with the first team for those joint practices, and really get his feet under him," Jones said. "But by the time you get to the end of training camp - and especially the beginning of the preseason - it's time to turn it over to Garoppolo. That's how I would divvy it up."
Jones & Keefe are also interested in seeing what Brady and Garoppolo's working relationship looks like, as well as how big of a factor Martellus Bennett will be in the Patriots offense. Listen to the full podcast below:
